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“This year is the first year in 56 years that we've eliminated all chemicals on the farm. And that’s what I'm most proud of. Period. Do we have some weeds in some of our fields? Yes, we do. But they're nothing that I think is out of control or taking away from yield…” – Rick Clark, organic no-tiller, Williamsport, Ind
Indiana no-tiller Rick Clark has gained some notoriety recently as one of a handful of farmers who is making organic no-till work — and on a large scale. Cropping about 7,000 acres near Williamsport, he’s intensely focused on building soil health in his diverse system that includes seeding cover crops, planting green, reducing inputs and incorporating livestock. Acknowledging that he doesn’t have all the answers, he nonetheless stresses the importance of challenging the status quo. At the 2019 National No-Tillage Conference, for example, he said “I challenge everyone to get a little uncomfortable. I think you’ll like the way it feels.”
For this episode of the No-Till Farmer podcast series, I caught up with Rick after he hosted a field day on his farm at the end of August, 2020 called “Regenerative Systems Deconstructed.” 250 people turned out for the event and several hundred more tuned in online to hear what Rick and other local experts had to say about his organic no-till operation. Tune in to hear about the equipment he uses, his approach to diverse cropping rotations, the weed outbreak progressions he’s seen since going organic, his thoughts on weeds becoming resistant to cover crops, and much more.
P.S. Rick is scheduled to be a speaker at the 2021 National No-Tillage Conference in Indianapolis. Find out more here!
No-Till Farmer's podcast series is brought to you by Yetter Farm Equipment.
Yetter Farm Equipment has been providing farmers with residue management, fertilizer placement, and seedbed preparation solutions since 1930. Today, Yetter equipment is your answer for success in the face of ever-changing production agriculture challenges. Yetter offers a full lineup of planter attachments designed to perform in varying planting conditions, multiple options for precision fertilizer placement, strip-till units, and stalk rollers for your combine. Yetter products maximize your inputs, save you time, and deliver return on your investment. Visit them at yetterco.com.
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